Home and Garden Expo Guide Home & Garden Expo Guide 2020 | Page 30

REMODELING RIGHT:
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL?
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS
It’s fun and inspiring to watch TV
shows about home design and
remodeling – everything from the
latest looks in countertops to whole-
house remodels. YouTube and other
online video sites are chock-full of
helpful how-tos and demos to assist
homeowners through countless do-
it-yourself projects.
There are relatively simple home projects
that can be completed by DIYers, such
as hanging pictures, interior painting,
caulking, and changing doorknobs and
cabinet pulls. Homeowners with the
correct tools and a higher skill level
should be able to tackle some aesthetic
work such as installing crown molding.
However, it’s also important to know
when to stop and hire a professional.
Remodelers can tell you lots of funny
stories about siding installed upside down
— and sometimes scary stories involving
do-it-yourself electrical wiring gone awry. So
before you buy the latest or trendiest gizmo
30
Home & Garden Expo Guide 2020
for your home, ask yourself a few questions.
How much do you know? Replacing
the exhaust fan over your oven with
a built-in microwave looks like a
reasonably simple swap. But if you notice
your kitchen lights are dimming when
you zap your popcorn, you’ve probably
forgotten that the microwave, unlike
the exhaust fan, uses a lot more energy
and likely needs a dedicated circuit. A
remodeling professional knows that.
What if it doesn’t work? That YouTube
do-it-yourself video may make a tilework
project look doable, but will YouTube
give you your money back if you don’t lay
it straight? Professional remodelers may
not know everything, but they do take
responsibility for everything they do.
Are there any unintended
consequences? In today’s increasingly
efficient and more air-tight homes, it’s
more and more important to look at the
house as a system. Your new windows
are keeping out drafts, but how are they
affecting your home’s air quality once
the “natural ventilation” of the leaky old
ones are gone? Do you need to look at
mechanical ventilation systems? If so,
how big? A professional can tell you.
How do you know if it’s right for
your home? A professional remodeler
can advise you on products, finishes,
and appliances that match your lifestyle,
location, house size, and budget and help
you avoid spending money without a
reasonable payback on either resource
expense (energy and water, for example)
or the sale of your home when you are
ready to upsize or downsize.
How do you find a professional
remodeler? There’s a question with an easy
answer. Contact the Greater Brazos Valley
Builders Association, look on their online
directory at gbvbuilders.org/remodeler,
or search the National Association of
Home Builders’ Directory of Professional
Remodelers, nahb.org/remodelerdirectory,
to find a remodeler with the experience,
educational qualifications, and knowledge to
do the job right — the first time.
Find out more in person from
a nationally recognized expert by
attending the Remodeling Realities
seminar presented at the Home &
Garden Expo on Sunday, Feb. 16,
beginning at 2 p.m.
INSITE February 2020